Post subject: just for fun idea for a themed Hollies compilation album.

Acoustic Guitar
Joined: 06 Jun 2005
Posts: 107

This idea has been spinning around in my head for a spell,

I have noticed The HOLLIES, have occasionally recorded tracks that sound influenced by American Country music, Country Rock, Southern Rock, Rockabilly, Hillbilly, Folk, good ol' Gospel songs, & even Bluegrass.
Got me to thinking what if, a nice collection of those tracks were assembled.along the lines of Love Songs and Orchestra Heaven. ? And so submitted for your approval ... just for fun.

'Long Cool Woman (In A Black Dress)' actually started out very 'country' style...then got more and more 'early Elvis rocker' (a country lad himself !) - the 'echo' on Allan's vocal trying to replicate the early Elvis 'country rockin' style of his original Sun Records recordings as featured on songs like 'Heartbreak Hotel' & 'It's Alright Mama' etc...

such a set would be an ideal oppertunity to include the (so far) unissued 'Kentucky Woman' they cut in 1969 too - recorded for the aborted 'Hollies Sing Country' project

re 'country style' Roy Orbison's fast flowing 'Down The Line' (covered by The Hollies in 1965) was a Sun Records track, and that was pure country, while you could also add Bob Dylan's 'I'll Be Your Baby Tonight' (which Dylan's own version has a 'country' feel to) and 'Please Sign Your Letters' (with a country style banjo, acoustics, and a general country 'swagger' feel to it....) as does Tony's 'Dandelion Wine'..and 'Layin' To The Music' (1974) as well....yes ?

If you include the Wild West scenario (as 'Lizzy and The Rainman' does) you could include; 'What A Life I've Led', 'Curly Billy', 'Indian Girl', 'No More Riders', & possibly 'Son of A Rotten Gambler' too, not forgetting 'Delaware Taggert and The Outlaw Boys'

The 'Buddy Holly' album track 'Midnight Shift' was a 'country' style original by Buddy too...(alot of Buddy's songs had a 'country' root, he even did an out & out 'country' flavoured album 'Holly in The Hills' as part of a duo)

Allan Clarke's 1972 solo recording of 'Moonshine Whisky' (from 'Arold' album) and even 'Fishin' (from 'Headroom') certainly would fit this theme as maybe two 'bonus' tracks...proving that westerns fan Clarkey had alot of the 'country' style approach in his music

...while the live (so far unissued but at the end of the LTAW DVD ) acapella 'Amazing Grace' could also fit into the 'Gospel Country' idiom too...

you could very easily end up with a 2CD set...!

It's certainly an excellent idea...

Posted:Sat Jan 25, 2014 10:28 am

Agneta

Post subject:

Rythym Guitar
Joined: 29 Oct 2006
Posts: 251
Location: Sweden

A country collection sounds like an interesting idea.

In 1969 the Hollies were thinking about a country album. In The Official Hollies Fan Club news letter from September 1969, secretary Lynne Wheeler wrote:

"The boys are also thinking of another LP for future release. The 'Hollies Sing Dylan' album was originally planned to be one of a set of three, and the second will probably be 'Hollies Sing Country and Western', followed by 'Hollies Sing Folk'. The Country and Western album could be ready for release next spring, but it's too early to be specific about that."

Posted:Mon Jan 27, 2014 6:09 am

Gee

Post subject:

Rythym Guitar
Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 485

Yes they re-cut 'Dang Me' (the Roger Miller hit), plus 'Kentucky Woman', & 'The Race is On' for that 'Sing Country' project with new member Terry Sylvester, while 'Louisiana Man' (which they performed with Graham Nash on 'The Bobbie Gentry Show' in 1968) was cut with Terry for the project (that can be found on 'Rarities' album).

.... and maybe their own songs; 'Please Sign Your Letters' and Tony's 'Dandelion Wine' which were notably county flavored were penned with the 'Country' album in mind too....but the idea was abandoned as I believe they felt it was all getting a bit 'too middle of the road' - plus some had criticised the 'Sing Dylan' album as lacking originality - despite imaginative arrangements on it

- the 'Hollies Sing...Anybody' idea had suggested a lack of confidence/belief in their OWN songwriting abilities to some people...even tho' we know that wasn't true (some were saying minus Graham Nash the band had lost their chief/main songwriter - which was unfair & inaccurate but in 1969 might have looked that way to some people), this is probably why they abandoned those 'Hollies sing others' projects and instead each member (except Bobby) contributed material to the all original following album...'Hollies Sing HOLLIES' !

a 'Hollies Sing Folk' album no doubt would have been very good - but remember back then they had just done the Bob Dylan set (tho' his 'Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You' they once sang on the radio), they could have re-cut 'Sylvester' versions of 'Stewball' (as sung at Golders Green in Feb 1969), and 'Very Last Day', with studio versions of songs like; 'Maybe I'll Settle Down', plus a few standards like possibly ; 'Greenback Dollar', 'Where Have All The Flowers Gone' (recorded by The Searchers), 'Turn Turn Turn', 'Wreck of The Old John B' ('Sloop John B') and others....all might have made interesting Hollies recordings and a fine album ...tho' they probably would have got yet more 'flak' for not being original and been unfavorably compared to others (as they did get re the Bob Dylan and later the 'Buddy Holly' tracks)

The 'Hollies Sing...' projects each had their merits and very likely would have made for a great set of interpretive albums (they largely launched the concept of a group doing a vocal 'Tribute' album devoted to one artist idea with 'Sing Dylan' back in May 1969 now a commonplace idea) but in retrospect it's easy to see why they dropped the idea after cutting a few 'country toons' and gave us 'Hollies Sing Hollies' instead.

Posted:Mon Jan 27, 2014 11:50 am

Last edited by Gee on Wed Jan 29, 2014 10:37 am; edited 3 times in total

What an interesting topic! I DO like country music and have many discs by artists such as Dolly Parton, Alan Jackson, Martina Macbride, Garth Brooks - the list goes on!
I first saw the Hollies in 1984 and at one of the shows after that first one I remember Allan asking if anyone in the audience liked country music. There was no response from anyone and me being a "scaredy cat" didn't answer him either!
One of my favourite country songs is "Boulder to Birmingham". When Carl was with the Hollies he was interviewed on a radio phone-in show and was asked if the band had thought of adding songs such as "Boulder to Birmingham" to the set list. I remember that he said that was one of the songs that they had been considering singing.
It seems that the song reached number 10 in the charts in New Zealand-perhaps it's not too late for it to be added to the set list for their concerts next month!

Posted:Mon Jan 27, 2014 17:51 pm

Susie Hewett

Post subject:

Lead Guitar
Joined: 17 Jan 2004
Posts: 652
Location: Australia

Anthony wrote:

At one stage I think the hollies were thinking of a country album.
Not a great lover of country music, but you have some great songs in your collection.

I read the same thing somewhere, Anthony. A song called Louisiana Man from The Hollies Rarities album from about 25 years ago sounds like a country song just to name one.

_________________Long live The Hollies, may they reign supreme for many more years to come.

Posted:Wed Jan 29, 2014 2:58 am

wishyouawish

Post subject:

Banjo
Joined: 02 May 2011
Posts: 39
Location: Sydney Australia

The idea is so good I'm surprised that Magic haven't used it. No doubt they will now

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